way2go! 7. Coursebook, Schulbuch

184 WRITING COACH An essay is a factual piece of writing in which you discuss an issue or inform or convince the reader of your opinion. It is usually written as part of an exam or a competition and read by a teacher or a jury. The language is neutral or formal, and the reader is not addressed directly by (rhetorical) questions. There are no contractions, and personal pronouns ( I, you ) should be avoided. The title is supposed to be factual and state the topic. Essay An essay consists of three main elements: 1 Introduction: thesis statement The first paragraph introduces the topic. It ends with the thesis statement that presents the arguments you intend to develop in the main body. The thesis statement makes clear what you think about the issue at hand. 2 Body: explaining and proving the thesis statement The body consists of paragraphs (developing the content points) in which you discuss your ideas in detail. Each paragraph builds on one argument that reflects your opinion. You start a paragraph with a topic sentence and support it with relevant details (evidence, examples, reasons). 3 Conclusion: summary The conclusion summarises (paraphrases) your opinion based on the arguments given in the main body. It does not introduce additional/new ideas. Sample task Your English class is discussing whether Austrians should be allowed to get their driving licence at 16. Your English teacher wants to know what you think about this and has asked you to write an essay. In your essay you should discuss: whether getting their driving licence at 16 increases teenagers’ mobility financial aspects of getting one’s driving licence at 16 if 16-year-olds are responsible enough to drive a car Write around 400 words. Give your essay a title. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv